{
  "id": 7842655,
  "title": "Najat Al Saghira, Egyptian star of screen and song, honoured in Abu Dhabi",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/najat-al-saghira-egyptian-star-of-screen-and-song-honoured-in-abu",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-16T18:11:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2026/09/16/najat-al-saghira-egyptian-star-of-screen-and-song-honoured-in-abu-dhabi/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Wednesday, the 20th Sheikh Zayed Book Award celebrated scholars and authors from the Arab world, recognizing their contributions to literature and creativity. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs, emphasized the global stage the award provides for Arab talent. Held during the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, the event honored winners across various categories, including literature, young authors, translation, literary and art criticism, Arab culture in other languages, and manuscripts, encyclopedias, and lexicons.\n\nAmid the distinguished recipients, Egyptian icon Najat Al Saghira received a special award, the Cultural Personality of the Year. Al Saghira, a towering figure in Egyptian cinema and music from the golden era of Arab music (1940s-1960s), was celebrated for her enduring impact on the Arabic language and culture through her soulful songs. In the UAE, she etched her name by singing the national anthem on the country's first National Day in 1972, marking a year since the nation's inception. Abu Dhabi Government Media Office praised Al Saghira's work as a cornerstone of Arab cultural memory, highlighting the arts' role in fostering cross-cultural communication and preserving cultural identity for future generations.",
  "summary": "Scholars and authors from across the Arab world were honoured for their contributions at the 20th Sheikh Zayed Book Award on Wednesday. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed highlighted the award’s importance as a global platform expanding the presence of Arab creativity. The event is held during Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which runs until Friday. Sheikh Theyab, who is Deputy Chairman of…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor to headline IIFA Weekend & Awards 2027 in Abu Dhabi",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/salman-khan-kareena-kapoor-to-headline-iifa-weekend-awards-2027-in",
        "published": "2026-09-16T12:59:21.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "IIFA Awards 2027 Abu Dhabi: Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan lead star line-up",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/iifa-awards-2027-abu-dhabi-salman-khan-and-kareena-kapoor-khan-lead",
        "published": "2026-09-16T13:47:44.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}